How do you check a plastic surgeon in Turkey before you book?

Booking surgery in another country means deciding about a doctor you may not have met yet. A handful of checks, most of which take only a few minutes, tell you whether the person and the setting are what they appear to be. The questions below apply to any surgeon you are considering, including this practice. A properly qualified surgeon will expect them and will be happy to answer them in writing.

1. Is the doctor a specialist plastic surgeon?

In Turkey, a plastic surgeon is a doctor who has completed several years of specialist training (residency) in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery after medical school and is registered as a specialist with the Ministry of Health. That is the legal baseline. Cosmetic procedures are also offered by doctors from other backgrounds, so it is worth asking directly:

• In which specialty did you complete your residency, and where?
• In which year did you become a specialist?
• Is this operation part of your specialty and your regular practice?

Board examinations are a further, voluntary step. The European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) examination, for example, assesses specialists against a shared European standard. Membership of national and international societies shows that a surgeon takes part in the professional community, and societies can usually confirm membership if you contact them. Treat each of these as one piece of information rather than proof of skill on its own.

For transparency: Prof. Dr. İlker Yazıcı completed his residency in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery at Gazi University (1998–2004), holds European Board certification (EBOPRAS, 2012) and became a professor in 2018. His training, academic posts and publications are listed on the CV page.

2. Who will actually operate on you?

Ask for the full name of the surgeon who will perform your operation, and whether you will meet that surgeon before the day of surgery. You should know:

• who examines you and draws up the surgical plan;
• who performs each part of the operation;
• that an anaesthetist will be present throughout;
• who you contact after surgery, by name, and how.

If the answer to "who is my surgeon?" changes from one message to the next, or a coordinator cannot give it, take that seriously.

3. Where will the operation take place?

Operations under general anaesthesia belong in a licensed hospital with an anaesthesia team and the facilities to deal with an unexpected problem, including access to intensive care. Ask whether your operation will take place in a hospital licensed by the Ministry of Health and how many nights you are expected to stay. At this practice, examinations take place at the clinic in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, and operations are performed in accredited partner hospitals.

4. Is the practice authorised to treat international patients?

Health facilities in Turkey that treat patients from abroad, and the intermediary companies that arrange such treatment, need an International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate from the Turkish Ministry of Health. Ask for the certificate number and check it. The practice of Prof. Dr. İlker Yazıcı holds certificate no. ST-2365. The certificate tells you the provider is registered for this work; it does not replace checking the surgeon's own training.

5. Will you have a proper consultation before you commit?

Photos sent from home are useful for information and planning, but they cannot replace an examination. Look for a process in which:

• your medical history, medicines and previous operations are asked about in detail;
• alternatives are discussed, including smaller or non-surgical options, and so is who should not have the operation;
• risks and recovery are explained without you having to ask;
• the consent information reaches you in writing, with time to read it before you travel;
• the decision to operate is confirmed only after an in-person examination, and "this is not right for you" is a possible answer.

How the photos and information you send in advance and the examination in Nişantaşı fit together at this practice is set out on the International Patients page.

6. What happens after you fly home?

Aftercare needs planning before you travel, because questions and complications can appear after you have left. Ask:

• How long should I stay in Istanbul after this procedure, and which check-ups happen before I leave?
• How does follow-up work once I am home, and how often?
• Which written documents will I take home, such as an operation summary, a medicine list and implant details where relevant?
• If something goes wrong after I return, who decides what happens next, and is a return visit possible?

Each procedure page sets out the typical stay and follow-up schedule. After rhinoplasty, for example, the splint usually comes off around day 7–10, so the trip is planned around that visit; the pages for breast augmentation and tummy tuck explain the check-ups that come before the flight home.

Warning signs worth pausing over

• Pressure to pay a deposit or fix a surgery date before anyone has looked at your photos and medical history.
• A final quote and an operation date offered before anyone has asked about your health.
• Vague or changing answers about who will operate.
• No written information about risks, or a claim that a procedure has none.
• Promises of a specific result, or other people's photos presented as what you will look like.
• Several major operations proposed for one session without a discussion of the extra risk.
• No clear way to reach your surgeon once you are home.

Questions you can copy and send

1. Who will perform my operation, and what is their specialist training?
2. Will I meet the surgeon before surgery, and when is the decision to operate made?
3. In which licensed hospital will I be operated on, and how many nights will I stay?
4. What is the practice's international health tourism authorisation number?
5. Which risks apply to me, and what happens if a complication appears after I return home?
6. How many days should I plan in Istanbul, and how does follow-up continue afterwards?

Asking these questions here

You are welcome to put any of these questions to the practice before you decide anything. Send a WhatsApp message or call +90 533 460 77 36, or use the contact page. Online contact is for information and planning; the medical assessment, and any decision about surgery, takes place at the examination in Istanbul.